How to integrate Shippo MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

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Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Shippo to the OpenAI Agents SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Shippo agent that can create shipping label for new order, track shipment status by tracking number, get shipping rates for a package through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your OpenAI Agents SDK agent real control over a Shippo account through Composio's Shippo MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
  • Get and set up your OpenAI and Composio API keys
  • Install the necessary dependencies
  • Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Shippo
  • Configure an AI agent that can use Shippo as a tool
  • Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Shippo operations

What is open-ai-agents-sdk?

The OpenAI Agents SDK is a lightweight framework for building AI agents that can use tools and maintain conversation state. It provides a simple interface for creating agents with hosted MCP tool support.

Key features include:

  • Hosted MCP Tools: Connect to external services through hosted MCP endpoints
  • SQLite Sessions: Persist conversation history across interactions
  • Simple API: Clean interface with Agent, Runner, and tool configuration
  • Streaming Support: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications

What is the Shippo MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Shippo MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Shippo account. It provides structured and secure access so your agent can perform Shippo operations on your behalf.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Create Shippo AddressTool to create a new address in Shippo.
Create BatchTool to create a batch of shipments for bulk label purchasing.
Create Carrier AccountTool to create a new carrier account in Shippo.
Create Customs ItemCreate a new customs item for international shipments.
Create Live RateTool to generate live shipping rates from multiple carriers for a given shipment.
Create ManifestTool to create a new shipping manifest with Shippo.
Create Merchant AddressTool to create a new address for a merchant using Shippo's Platform API.
Create Merchant BatchTool to create a batch for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
Create Merchant Carrier AccountTool to create a carrier account for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
Create Merchant Customs DeclarationTool to create a new customs declaration for a merchant using Shippo's Platform API.
Create Merchant Customs ItemTool to create a new customs item for a merchant using Shippo's Platform API.
Create Merchant OrderTool to create an order for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
Create Merchant ParcelTool to create a new parcel for a merchant using Shippo's Platform API.
Create Merchant RefundTool to create a refund for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
Create Merchant ShipmentTool to create a new shipment for a merchant using Shippo's Platform API.
Create Merchant TransactionTool to create a shipping label transaction for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
Create OrderTool to create a new order in Shippo.
Create ParcelTool to create a new parcel in Shippo with dimensions and weight specifications.
Create RefundTool to create a refund for a Shippo transaction.
Create Service GroupTool to create a new Shippo service group with specified pricing model and carrier service levels.
Create ShipmentTool to create a new shipment with Shippo.
Register Tracking WebhookTool to register a tracking webhook for a shipment.
Create TransactionTool to create a shipping label transaction with Shippo.
Create User Parcel TemplateTool to create a new user parcel template in Shippo with preset dimensions and weight specifications.
Create Shippo WebhookTool to create a new webhook subscription in Shippo.
Delete Default Parcel TemplateTool to clear the current default parcel template.
Delete User Parcel TemplateTool to delete a user-created parcel template.
Delete WebhookTool to delete a specific webhook from Shippo.
Get AddressTool to retrieve a previously created address from Shippo.
Get Carrier AccountTool to retrieve a carrier account by its ID.
Get Carrier Parcel TemplateTool to retrieve a specific carrier parcel template by its token.
Get Carrier Registration StatusTool to retrieve carrier registration status from Shippo.
Get Customs DeclarationTool to retrieve a customs declaration by its ID.
Get customs itemTool to retrieve a customs item from Shippo.
Get Default Parcel TemplateTool to retrieve the current default parcel template for live rates at checkout.
Get MerchantTool to retrieve a merchant from the Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant AddressTool to retrieve a merchant address from Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant BatchTool to retrieve a batch for a merchant from the Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant Carrier AccountTool to retrieve a carrier account for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant Carrier Registration StatusTool to retrieve carrier registration status for a specific merchant using Shippo's Platform API.
Get Merchant Customs DeclarationTool to retrieve a specific customs declaration for a merchant using Shippo's Platform API.
Get Merchant Customs ItemTool to retrieve a customs item for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant ManifestTool to retrieve a manifest for a merchant from the Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant OrderTool to retrieve an order for a merchant from the Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant ParcelTool to retrieve a parcel for a merchant from the Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant RateTool to retrieve a specific shipping rate for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant RefundTool to retrieve a merchant refund from Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant ShipmentTool to retrieve a shipment for a merchant from the Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant Tracking StatusTool to retrieve tracking status for a merchant from Shippo Platform API.
Get Merchant TransactionTool to retrieve a shipping label transaction for a merchant from the Shippo Platform API.
Get OrderTool to retrieve an order from Shippo.
Get ParcelTool to retrieve a parcel by its ID.
Get RateTool to retrieve a specific shipping rate by its ID.
Get RefundTool to retrieve a refund by its ID from Shippo.
Get ShipmentTool to retrieve a shipment by its ID.
Get Shippo AccountTool to retrieve a Shippo Account from the Shippo Platform API.
Get Tracking StatusTool to retrieve tracking status for a shipment from Shippo.
Get TransactionTool to retrieve a shipping label transaction by its ID.
Get User Parcel TemplateTool to retrieve a specific user-created parcel template by its object ID.
Get WebhookTool to retrieve a specific webhook subscription from Shippo.
List AddressesTool to list all addresses in the Shippo account with pagination support.
List Carrier AccountsTool to list all carrier accounts configured in the Shippo account with pagination support.
List Carrier Parcel TemplatesTool to list all carrier parcel templates available for creating shipments.
List Customs DeclarationsTool to list all customs declarations in the Shippo account with pagination support.
List Customs ItemsTool to list all customs items with pagination support.
List ManifestsTool to list all shipping manifests from Shippo.
List Merchant AddressesTool to list all addresses for a specific merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
List Merchant Carrier AccountsTool to list all carrier accounts for a specific merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
List Merchant Customs DeclarationsTool to list all customs declarations for a specific merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
List Merchant Customs ItemsTool to list all customs items for a specific merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
List Merchant ManifestsTool to list all manifests for a specific merchant using Shippo's Platform API.
List Merchant ParcelsTool to list all parcels for a specific merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
List MerchantsTool to list all merchants using the Shippo Platform API with pagination support.
List Merchant Shipment Rates by CurrencyTool to retrieve available shipping rates for a merchant's shipment filtered by currency code using the Shippo Platform API.
List Merchant ShipmentsTool to list all shipments for a specific merchant using Shippo's Platform API.
List Merchant TransactionsTool to list all shipping label transactions for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
List OrdersTool to list all orders in the Shippo account with pagination support.
List RefundsTool to retrieve a list of all refunds from Shippo.
List Service GroupsTool to retrieve all service groups configured in Shippo.
List Shipment RatesTool to retrieve available shipping rates for a specific shipment.
List Shipment Rates by CurrencyTool to retrieve available shipping rates for a specific shipment filtered by currency code.
List ShipmentsTool to list all shipments in the Shippo account with pagination support.
List Shippo AccountsTool to list all Managed Shippo Accounts.
List User Parcel TemplatesTool to list all user-created parcel templates.
Purchase Merchant BatchTool to purchase a batch for a merchant via the Shippo Platform API.
Remove Shipments From BatchTool to remove shipments from a batch for a merchant using the Shippo Platform API.
Update Carrier AccountTool to update an existing carrier account in Shippo.
Update Default Parcel TemplateTool to update the default parcel template for live rates at checkout in Shippo.
Update MerchantTool to update an existing merchant in Shippo Platform API.
Update Merchant Carrier AccountTool to update a carrier account for a merchant in Shippo Platform API.
Update Service GroupTool to update an existing Shippo service group.
Update User Parcel TemplateTool to update an existing user parcel template with new weight and carrier template settings.
Update WebhookTool to update an existing webhook in Shippo.
Validate AddressTool to validate an address using the Shippo API.
Validate Merchant AddressTool to validate a merchant address using the Shippo Platform API.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Tool Router?

Composio's Tool Router helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Tool Router

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Tool Router works

The Tool Router follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Composio API Key and OpenAI API Key
  • Primary know-how of OpenAI Agents SDK
  • A live Shippo project
  • Some knowledge of Python or Typescript

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key
  • Go to the OpenAI dashboard and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider.
  • Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key

Install dependencies

pip install composio_openai_agents openai-agents python-dotenv

Install the Composio SDK and the OpenAI Agents SDK.

Set up environment variables

bash
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...your-api-key
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your-api-key
USER_ID=composio_user@gmail.com

Create a .env file and add your OpenAI and Composio API keys.

Import dependencies

import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

from composio import Composio
from composio_openai_agents import OpenAIAgentsProvider
from agents import Agent, Runner, HostedMCPTool, SQLiteSession
What's happening:
  • You're importing all necessary libraries.
  • The Composio and OpenAIAgentsProvider classes are imported to connect your OpenAI agent to Composio tools like Shippo.

Set up the Composio instance

load_dotenv()

api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")

if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key")

# Initialize Composio
composio = Composio(api_key=api_key, provider=OpenAIAgentsProvider())
What's happening:
  • load_dotenv() loads your .env file so OPENAI_API_KEY and COMPOSIO_API_KEY are available as environment variables.
  • Creating a Composio instance using the API Key and OpenAIAgentsProvider class.

Create a Tool Router session

# Create a Shippo Tool Router session
session = composio.create(
    user_id=user_id,
    toolkits=["shippo"]
)

mcp_url = session.mcp.url

What is happening:

  • You give the Tool Router the user id and the toolkits you want available. Here, it is only shippo.
  • The router checks the user's Shippo connection and prepares the MCP endpoint.
  • The returned session.mcp.url is the MCP URL that your agent will use to access Shippo.
  • This approach keeps things lightweight and lets the agent request Shippo tools only when needed during the conversation.

Configure the agent

# Configure agent with MCP tool
agent = Agent(
    name="Assistant",
    model="gpt-5",
    instructions=(
        "You are a helpful assistant that can access Shippo. "
        "Help users perform Shippo operations through natural language."
    ),
    tools=[
        HostedMCPTool(
            tool_config={
                "type": "mcp",
                "server_label": "tool_router",
                "server_url": mcp_url,
                "headers": {"x-api-key": api_key},
                "require_approval": "never",
            }
        )
    ],
)
What's happening:
  • We're creating an Agent instance with a name, model (gpt-5), and clear instructions about its purpose.
  • The agent's instructions tell it that it can access Shippo and help with queries, inserts, updates, authentication, and fetching database information.
  • The tools array includes a HostedMCPTool that connects to the MCP server URL we created earlier.
  • The headers dict includes the Composio API key for secure authentication with the MCP server.
  • require_approval: 'never' means the agent can execute Shippo operations without asking for permission each time, making interactions smoother.

Start chat loop and handle conversation

print("\nComposio Tool Router session created.")

chat_session = SQLiteSession("conversation_openai_toolrouter")

print("\nChat started. Type your requests below.")
print("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n")

async def main():
    try:
        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            "What can you help me with?",
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}\n")

    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "q"}:
            print("Goodbye!")
            break

        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            user_input,
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")

asyncio.run(main())
What's happening:
  • The program prints a session URL that you visit to authorize Shippo.
  • After authorization, the chat begins.
  • Each message you type is processed by the agent using Runner.run().
  • The responses are printed to the console, and conversations are saved locally using SQLite.
  • Typing exit, quit, or q cleanly ends the chat.

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Shippo and open-ai-agents-sdk:

import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

from composio import Composio
from composio_openai_agents import OpenAIAgentsProvider
from agents import Agent, Runner, HostedMCPTool, SQLiteSession

load_dotenv()

api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")

if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key")

# Initialize Composio
composio = Composio(api_key=api_key, provider=OpenAIAgentsProvider())

# Create Tool Router session
session = composio.create(
    user_id=user_id,
    toolkits=["shippo"]
)
mcp_url = session.mcp.url

# Configure agent with MCP tool
agent = Agent(
    name="Assistant",
    model="gpt-5",
    instructions=(
        "You are a helpful assistant that can access Shippo. "
        "Help users perform Shippo operations through natural language."
    ),
    tools=[
        HostedMCPTool(
            tool_config={
                "type": "mcp",
                "server_label": "tool_router",
                "server_url": mcp_url,
                "headers": {"x-api-key": api_key},
                "require_approval": "never",
            }
        )
    ],
)

print("\nComposio Tool Router session created.")

chat_session = SQLiteSession("conversation_openai_toolrouter")

print("\nChat started. Type your requests below.")
print("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n")

async def main():
    try:
        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            "What can you help me with?",
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}\n")

    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "q"}:
            print("Goodbye!")
            break

        result = await Runner.run(
            agent,
            user_input,
            session=chat_session
        )
        print(f"Assistant: {result.final_output}\n")

asyncio.run(main())

Conclusion

This was a starter code for integrating Shippo MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK to build a functional AI agent that can interact with Shippo.

Key features:

  • Hosted MCP tool integration through Composio's Tool Router
  • SQLite session persistence for conversation history
  • Simple async chat loop for interactive testing
You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.

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FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Shippo MCP?

With a standalone Shippo MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Shippo tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Shippo and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK?

Yes, you can. OpenAI Agents SDK fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Shippo tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Shippo while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Shippo scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Shippo data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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